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Oklahoma Capitol Boxscore for Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018

A.J. Griffin, who is leaving the Oklahoma State Senate at the end of this term, has taken a job with Oklahoma City-based payroll and human resource service company Paycom. She serves as Paycom's director of government affairs, which puts her in charge of coordinating the company's relationship with elected officials, her former colleagues.

This year, the Legislature rejected Ethics Commission rules that would put a waiting period on lawmakers who become lobbyists after leaving public office. Griffin did not vote.

House studies scheduled

As lawmakers inch closer to the next regular session in February, they've begun scheduling their interim studies that could eventually lead to legislation.

Over the past week, two House meetings were announced that will examine issues in banking and energy. The Banking and Business Committee on Sept. 19 will hear studies on deputy sheriff pensions and motorcycle liens.

The Energy and Natural Resources Committee will meet Oct. 30 for two interim studies on lateral lines and an analysis of the state's reliance on oil and gas tax revenue.

No Senate interim studies have been scheduled.

Labor group opposes state question

AFL-CIO of Oklahoma announced it is actively opposing State Question 793, a proposal that would allow optometry clinics to open inside retail stores, including big box retailers like Walmart, Target and Costco.

President Jimmy Curry said the group is opposed because of what he described as a history of unethical and unfair treatment of workers. “Walmart doesn't pay its workers a living wage, doesn't give them the benefits they deserve and generally exhibits a lack of respect for its own employees and the labor force at large,” said Curry. “Why would we want to expand that kind of abusive behavior into optometry?"

Supporters of SQ 793, which will be on Novembers ballot, argue that patients will be able to get the same level of care more conveniently and at a better price.

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Dale Denwalt

Dale Denwalt has closely followed state policy and politics since his first internship as an Oklahoma Capitol reporter in 2006.
He graduated from Northeastern State University in his hometown of Tahlequah. Denwalt worked as a news reporter in...
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